Mayor and City Council Make Joint Statement on Budget Agreement

Philadelphia, May 11, 2009 – We are pleased to report to the citizens of Philadelphia that we have reached an agreement on a joint budget proposal that embraces our collective values and minimizes pain to the residents of our city.

We are happy to say that this budget is an agreement between the Mayor and City Council and the only new tax is a temporary 1% increase in the sales tax for the next five years. We will defer a portion of the City’s pension fund payment for FY 2010 and 2011. The City’s deferrals will be paid by FY 2014.

Also agreed upon in this budget is a commitment to work together to seek additional efficiencies through the creation of a Joint Working Committee on Government Efficiencies.

In the spirit of cooperation and guided by our agreed-upon priorities, Council and the Mayor have put the well-being and the needs of our citizens first. We believe that we have the framework for a responsible and balanced budget as required by the City Charter.

This joint agreement is merely the first step. As Council begins its process of passing this budget, well ahead of the May 31 deadline, Council and the Mayor will work as a team with the General Assembly to advocate for the legislature’s approval to proceed with our plan.

Again, this proposal is a responsible one that does not harm our residents or our business community, but provides the necessary revenue to continue providing the critical City services.

This can continued to be said, but there are a lot of people still eating their words now that Obama is in the whitehouse. Pay attention to the different points that Fox tries to run away with, fair and balanced my ass.

The idea of reposting some of my most highlighted articles that appeared in the North Philly Metropolis came to me when visiting the innovative thinker, Damon C. Williams website. I didn’t think I was able to this at first, but after fooling around with Quark Express and with some help from Steve Bozzone it happened.

A lot of things that are presently happening in Philadelphia almost relates to some of the articles that I worked on in the past. With this article, done by myself, Anthony Phillips, and Fatima Thomas, we look into the mayoral race of 2007.

 The point that Montel Williams was trying to make during this time last year  clearly is that there are people dying everyday in Iraq. Though Fox and others are trying to stay focus on the fact pf the passing of Heath Ledger, because this is something that is bringing in more rightings. You even witness how at the end they attempt to change to the subject of Montel’s new book.

This guy truly gets on my nerves, I believe that President Obama will succeed in places that others want him to fail. He’s in office and getting things done, when he makes a mistake he admits it, which is more than we can say about our previous president…what’s his name.

I must admit that I was a bit skeptical at first about donating because of the recent report about a soldier going door to door to collect money “supposedly” for soldiers over in Iraq, but surprisingly he decided to use it on himself. However, I decided that I would not let that fact decline me from being able to help someone in need, so I dug into my wallet and pulled out a crisp $10.00 bill and shoved it into the bank. I know its not much but the guy ringing the bell said thanks and then went back to ringing looking gloomy once again. No thanks needed to be said I just want him and the others to keep ringing those bells.

A few blocks later I was passing another Salvation individual, who made anyone who passed not want to donate a dime. As I walked passed she said “happy holidays…,” gloomily mumbling the rest. But I guess if I had to stand outside all day in the cold I wouldn’t be happy either, but still.

This Christmas a lot of Philadelphians I believe will be thinking about politics, budget cuts, jobs, and other things that plague our unfortunate city, perhapes even our great country in general. Hell, even our beloved eagles owe us money, 8 million to be exact. I was reading last weeks Philadelphia Weekly when I found this interesting tid bit out and guess what folks, they owed us this amount since 1985 and were supposed to pay us back in 2001.

According to youngphillypolitics.com the eagles owed us this money as part of a deal to create luxury boxes at veteran stadium. These are things that even Santa Claus can not fix, sorry kids. It seems that everywhere you turn corrupt politicians are, if I may borrow a phrase from Mr. R. Kelly, “coming out of the closet.” The name that comes to mind is Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. If he did it, and I have a lingering feeling that he did, how wrong can you be? Attempting to give the senate seat away to the highest bidder and he doesn’t consider it to be wrong.

Anyway, lets get back to dear old Philadelphia, and the beloved libraries that are being shut down. Recently today a lawsuit was filed in common pleas court ordering and decreeing Mayor Nutter and others to hold off on library closures, the hearing will be held Monday at precisely 10am.

Even though there is a list of things Philadelphians wish to get for Christmas,perhapes Philadelphia couldn’t ask for anything better from Santa. For this moment in time this might just do, for now in our city of woes. Lets hope things shape up in 2009 shall we, I mean we still have an inauguration to look forward to, right?

Yes there are issues that need to be fixed rather quickly such as, the troubled economy, the 10 billion dollar war, more jobs, and most recently the auto industry. Lets not forget the many budget cuts that are going around. Just because Barack Obama is African-American does not mean that our problems are going to fly away, I know, but we needed this change more than we needed the Phillies to win the title of world champs.

A few days after the election while I was in class there was a young lady sitting behind me, a McCain supporter. My professor, who liked Obama, suggested to the class that instead of our normal routine we would create a ballad about Obama’s winning victory. The class willingly agreed to this, however, the young lady was very upset and did not appreciate the ballad or the Sara Palin jokes that were on the tips of everyones tongue. There was a point when we were discussing a line for the ballad of how Obama gave us the audacity to hope, the girl replied in a whisper, “he didn’t give me shit.”

I wished at that moment that myself and her could have switched skin colors and history for a few minutes because maybe then she would have realized how important it felt to myself and others of my race that Barrack Obama was elected.

In focusing on this election I had hoped to find out in each candidates economic plan who would provide more jobs and how for the future youth of the United States we all know, especially now, how hard it is to get a good sustainable job. Overall the Obama-Biden plan will create new federal policies, and expand existing ones that have been proven to create new jobs.  The President elect believes that there can be and will be new available jobs through national infrastructure investment and technology, infrastructure investment meaning the rebuilding of our nation’s highways, bridges, roads, etc. Though there seems to be more that can be stressed about than just highways and such, read what Steve Bozzone had to say about this in his letter to Barack Obama.

The overeall idea of President elect Obama’s economic plan, I think, is that if you have an idea of doing things then that idea is welcomed, however, you must have the necessary skills and knowledge to back it up.

Now despite the many issues that have been promised to be looked into I feel that some African-American, not all, might have only voted for Obama because of the fact that he is an African-American. This can probably be viewed as either a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it, though there were blacks who only voted for John McCain because of the fact that he is white. It is just hard to believe that an individual who spends a majority of their time out on the streets smoking, selling drugs, causing trouble, would vote for Obama because of his policies.

Furthermore what’s ridiculous is the amount of hate that has generated since the begining and passing of the election date. Rumors flying around that blacks are getting hang for talking about Obama in coversation, anti-obama shirts, colleges going agaisnt each other because of racist slurs  being made, references of Obama to a monkey.

A co-worker of mine, her son, works down in virgina and has been doing so for some time and his co-workers/superiors are mostly white. Everything was cool with them until the results of the election came out. Now any little thing can get this young man in trouble, he was actually written up three time within a week…a week.

The bottom line, get over it, Barack Obama is and will be your president this coming January. Statistics state that youth voters did not vote in 2004 because they were not interested in the election. Other reasons are that they believed that they would be less likely to meet registration deadline and some did not know where to go or how to get registered. The voter registration rose a little in the years of 2000-2004 with the year 2004 totaling 60%. This time, however, 80% more of young people were paying attention. Yes good people, things have indeed changed.

Man, watching Barack Obama’s acceptance speech yesterday in Denver was marvelous. I don’t know if anyone knows but I am not a huge fan of politics though ever since doing the mayoral guide with the childrens commission which revolved around Michael Nutter and the running candidates I’ve been attempting to stay up with the world.

It actually hit me that, wow an actual African American is running for president of the United States, I don’t think that has ever happened before. I’ve never paid much attention to Barackexcept for when I had to use his speech that he made at the Constitution center for a homework assignment.

Through the speech I just felt so motivated and inspired to do my own thing, one being this website. Years ago, the thought of having an African American in the white house wasn’t even thought of or heard of.

Barack Obama is truly an inspiration to everyone with a dream, a goal, a longing for change. What else can be said.  I’m sure there were thousands of people around the world watching this speech standing up and saying to whatever challenge coming there way, Yes I can.

I know that I don’t know much about politics, and I have to read up on some of the old presidents, but didn’t Bush help cause some of the problems that we are facing today? So far in my young life I haven’t seen as much bad advertising or documentation about anyone like it has been for Bush.

Back when the nation was being formed Washington and the others really didn’t know what they were doing, but they were attempting to build up the nation the best way they believed to be fit. It seems that some of what they had set up way back then has either been changed or is still lingering. Though you don’t get the full effect of what they were trying to do or what they were all about until you realize what president Bush has done or is doing.

I could be wrong, but John Adams was disliked by some because he avoided a war. Yet we’re still in war with Iraq that costing so much and not just money, but life in general. Why are they still over there? I think that if the founding fathers were here, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the rest I believe that they would be shocked to see what has become of their creation.

America doesn’t seem to be about peace or avoiding wars, but high gas prices, a low economy, spoiled and evil individuals, money, war, stupidity, fear, the list goes on.

This is all I have to say about the nations 232 birthday, hopefully I’ll have some interesting articles about Philadelphia in our next issue. I’ll be returning to facebook now to work on my page and the npm’s, then maybe a nap, followed by a trip to the theaters to watch Hancock. I’ll let you know what I thought of the movie.

If you are interested by the way of becoming friends with me or the North Philly Metropolis, please view the “Peak Johnson Happenings page” and the “North Philly Metropolis page”